The Thursday, October 30 episode of Beyond the Gates featured family dysfunction on Halloween, no less. Vernon and a witchy Nicole tried to have a safe, scary holiday. Instead, Nicole’s mansion erupted in drama, first from an angel’d up Leslie. Then Martin, Smitty, and Samantha invaded her place so Samantha could get some much-needed advice from her grandmother. At the same time, her brother had a confrontation of his own at Orphey Gene’s.
Key Takeaways
- Nicole tries to set up a safe space for Samantha.
- Martin overhears Samantha admit she overheard Kat talk about sex with Tomas.
- Tyrell stands up to Nathan.
- Ted and Leslie clear the air.
Tricks
Samantha (Najah Jackson) thinks she knows what she wants and who she wants to be. And at Nicole’s, her grandmother takes her into what should be a safe space to talk about her dads catching her in the act of making out with Nathan (Brennen Settle) on their couch. But things were clearly headed for much more since Nathan, who did get Samantha’s consent, had dropped a condom in front of the couch.
Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix) was able to get the real story from her granddaughter. That she and Nathan were a situationship. They knew each other from school and hung out a couple of times. But Samantha thinks that she’s mature enough to handle where things were heading. And while she asked Nicole if she could stay with her grandmother, it doesn’t seem like she listened to the advice Nicole gave her.
When Martin (Brandon Claybon) accidentally eavesdropped and discovered that Samantha was inspired to take things to the next level after Kat (Colby Muhammad) talked about sex with Tomas, the atmosphere grew significantly tense. Martin insisted that he was about to have a conversation with his sister. Samantha had to admit that she had only overheard Kat. She also expressed her wish to move in with Nicole, which left Martin and Smitty (Mike Manning, who recently took shots at a cast member from CBS’s Ghosts) shocked.
Samantha talks like someone who thinks she’s grown up enough to have sex with someone. But ultimately, underneath it all, she’s not putting any thought into the consequences of her actions. Is she ready for that? Why can’t she and Nathan take the slow-burn route?
Treats
Meanwhile, at Orphey Gene’s, Tyrell (Jaden Lucas Miller) and Jessica (Camryn Jade), dressed in chess-related costumes, decided they wouldn’t even attend the party that a grounded Samantha had desperately wanted to attend.
But they first had to deal with Nathan. The duo overheard (there’s a lot of overhearing going on) Nathan basically talking about taking Samantha’s virginity and treating it like it was another addition to his body count. Ugh.
Tyrell and Jessica both stood up to him. But Tyrell’s refusal to back down in the face of this jock was much more impressive, especially to Jessica. Tyrell didn’t need to use his fists. He comes from a family of people who know their way with words. And that’s what he did. He used words to knock Nathan down a peg.
Later, in the booth, Tyrell and Jessica were super sweet. They definitely seemed to be on the same page, and they connected. We’ll see if these two will establish a lasting foundation, but so far, things are back on track for them.
Scary Thoughts
Rounding out the Richardson family drama in this first Halloween-themed episode was Ted (Keith D. Robinson). Spoilers suggested that he and Leslie would forge a new path forward. And that’s kind of what happened. It just wasn’t the ideal path for Leslie (Trisha Mann-Grant), but she seems to be dealing with it for now.
Ted decided to put the past, including all his ugliness, Leslie’s ugliness, and their drama, behind them so they could simply start a friendship. Will she ultimately let that happen, especially when Ted potentially gets a new love interest this holiday season? Because Leslie has proved to be territorial where Ted is concerned. We’ll believe it when we see it.
What did you think of the episode? Let us know your thoughts about Samantha and Tyrell.
